Pressurized package

ABSTRACT

Pressurized package for dispensing product from upright or inverted position and having means providing vapor tap effect in either position while preventing premature propellant exhaustion, and valve assembly therefor.

O Umted States Patent 1151 3,647,119

Samuelson Mar. 7, 1972 [54] PRESSURIZED PACKAGE 3,223,293 12/1965 Seaquist ..222/464 X 3,455,489 7/1969 Meshberg .....222/136 x [72] samuelsm' Rama 3,544,258 12/1970 Presant ....222/402.l8 x [73] Assignee: S. C. John & Son, Inc., Racine, Wis. 3,272,402 1966 g s MHz/402.18 X 3,325,056 6/1967 Lewis .222/136 X [221 Wed: May 26, 3,194,450 7/1965 Brocklin ..222/464 x [21] Appl. N0.2 40,636

Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Thomas E. Kocovsky [52] US. Cl. ..222/402.l8, ZZZ/402.19 A t rney-Joseph T Kivlin, Jr, and Thomas A. Hodge [51] 1111. c1 ..B65d 83/14 5s field orswch ..222/3, 132, 136, 129,145, [57] ABSTRACT Pressurized package for dispensing product from upright or inverted position and having means providing vapor tap effect [56] References Cited 1n e1ther posmon wh1le preventlng premature propellant ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS haustion, and valve assembly therefor.

3,401,838 9/1968 Hanson ..222/ 145 X 4Claims,3l)rawing Figures r i Z 24 E 14 Z7 E s lb 9 i 9 4 1 i\ 9 I i 2 34 PRESSURIZED PACKAGE This invention relates to pressurized packages such as aerosol containers adapted for product discharge in upright or inverted position and to valve assemblies therefor.

The use of vapor taps in aerosol spray packages is known, and has been employed to allow some propellent vapor to flow under pressure to discharge along with the product, the propellent vapor expanding rapidly upon reaching atmospheric pressure to assist in more or less exploding the discharging particles of product in order to achieve a fine spray. Spray characteristics also depend on other parameters such as the size of the vapor tap orifice, valve stem passageway, dip tube area, etc. It is possible to employ packages of the class described having a dip tube and vapor tap for inverted as well as upright use. However, in such cases the dip tube must have a certain cross-sectional area to assure proper product flow during upright discharge, while the vapor tap is usually smaller to provide the desired vapor tap effect without exhausting the propellant. Thus, when inverted, the situation is reversed causing alteration of the spray characteristics and excessive flow of propellent through the dip tube.

Furthermore, pressurized packages of the class described have been conceived for effecting discharge from various attitudes; and, in fact, I have collaborated in the invention of such a package which is the subject matter of application Ser. No. 772,208, filed Oct. 31, 1968 now US. Pat. No. 3,542,254, issued Nov. 24, l970. While the package there described has proven to be commercially desirable, it is intended to provide different spray characteristics when in different positional attitudes; and it does involve a relatively complex structural arrangement.

The present invention, on the other hand, contributes a simple and reliable package capable of discharging product from upright or inverted position with similar spray characteristics in either position of discharge, and in either case without excessive loss of propellent. It is, therefore, useful in the dispensationof personal products, for example, such as insect repellent which is applied to various parts of the body and from different positional attitudes of the package.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, 1 have conceived a pressurized package for dispensing product from a plurality of different attitudes comprising, a container for the product to be dispensed and for fluid propellent having a phase of lower specific gravity than the product for driving the product from the container, discharge valve means including a chamber mounted on the container, a dip tube and conduit means each communicating with the chamber and extending to the opposite part of the container, the conduit means having a larger internal cross-sectional area than that of the dip tube, and a vapor tap effecting communication between the chamber and the interior of the container above the level of product when the container is in upright attitude. The dip tube contemplated is an ordinary capillary tube and the conduit means is preferably so arranged as to surround the dip tube and communicate with the valve chamber through an orifice in the chamber provided for that purpose.

The valve means may include a valve stem manually shiftable from a normally closed to an open position, and is preferably provided with a passageway effecting communication between the chamber and atmosphere when the stem is in open position.

When discharge takes place from the upright position, the propellent drives product up through the dip tube and the conduit means into the valve chamber and to the atmosphere through the valve stem passageway. Simultaneously, propellent vapor passes through the vapor tap into the chamber where it mixes with product and flows with it through the valve passageway to the atmosphere to contribute desired spray characteristics at the discharge point.

When discharge is effected from the inverted position, the larger conduit means acts as a product reservoir and, in combination with the vapor tap orifice, supplies product to the valve chamber and the valve stem discharge passage.

Meanwhile, the product remaining in the dip tube is quickly discharged when the valve is opened, and the dip tube then serves as a vapor tap, allowing propellant vapor to pour into the chamber where it mixes with product and flows with it through the valve passageway to the atmosphere to contribute desired spray characteristics at the discharge point.

In either case, a vapor tap is available, and by selecting appropriate sizes for the stem passageway, vapor tap, dip tube and conduit means internal cross-sectional areas and chamber orifice, depending upon product characteristics, the desired spray characteristics may be achieved.

Further specific features and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter more fully set forth with reference to the annexed drawings, showing a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and certain modifications thereof, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a container of the class described;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged upright cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 1 illustrating the internal parts; and

FIG. 3 is a partial view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating the unit in position for inverted use.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. I an aerosol package 10 which includes a container 11 and valve cup 12 mounted in a domed end wall 13 at the top of the container and which supports a dispensing valve assembly I4 (FIGS. 2 and 3) therein.

The valve assembly 14 includes a valve body 15 formed to provide an internal chamber 16 open at its upper end, as viewed in FIG. I, and the upper ends of the sides of which bear against a resilient gasket 17 to seal that part of the chamber. The sidewalls of the valve body are enlarged outwardly near their top and the valve cup 12 closely engages the gasket 17 and the enlarged part of the body sidewalls to support the valve assembly and press the gasket against the upper ends of the walls, as shown.

As viewed in FIG. 3, the valve body 15 is further formed with a depending skirt 19 which surrounds an orifice 20 in its base 21, a second orifice 22 in the base 21 but outside the confines of the skirt l9, and a vapor tap orifice 24 in its sidewall just below the enlarged part already referred to.

Within the valve body 15 there is a valve stem 25 having a cylindrical central part and reduced cylindrical parts 26 and 27 extending upward and downward, respectively, of the central part and forming shoulders 29 and 30 on the stem 25. The upper shoulder 29 normally abuts the gasket I7 under the force of a helical spring 31 bearing at one end against the shoulder 30 and at the other against the base 21 of the valve body; and the part 26 extends out through suitable openings in the gasket and valve cup. A discharge passageway (not shown) is formed in the cylindrical part 26 and opens laterally of the part 26, as shown at 32, between the upper and lower surfaces of the gasket normally to be closed by it.

A capillary dip tube 34 engages the inner surface of the skirt 19 in a friction fit so that its inner passage communicates with the interior of the valve body through the orifice 20; and a conduit 35 has one end extending over the lower part of the valve body, also in a friction fit, so that its inner passage communicates with the interior of the valve body through the orifice 22. By reason of this arrangement, the conduit 35 surrounds the capillary dip tube 34. Both the conduit and dip tube extend downward, as viewed in FIG. 2, and curve towards the lower side of the container 11 to extend as far downward as possiblein view ofthe inwardly domed bottom with which the container is formed.

When packaging is complete, the container holds a quantity of fluid product and a quantity of fluid propellent which occurs at least in a vapor phase of lower specific gravity than that of the product so that the vapor phase of the propellant always rises to a level above the product.

Accordingly, when discharge is desired from the upright position shown in FIG. 2, the valve stem 25 is lowered by manual depression so that the opening 32 descends below the gasket I7 and communicates with the interior of the valve body 15. At this point, the propellent drives product up through dip tube 34 and conduit 35, orifices and 22 and into chamber 16 where it mixes with propellent in the vapor phase entering the chamber through vapor tap orifice 24. The mixture enters the opening 32 in the valve stem and passes to the atmosphere. Upon release of the opening pressure on the valve stem, the spring returns the stem to its normal position, as shown in FIG. 2, and discharge terminates.

When the container is inverted, the product and vapor phase of propellent reverse positions due to their respective specific gravities, and the product drops to the bottom of the container which is now as seen in FIG. 3. However, the conduit 35 acts as a reservoir for the product that was contained within it prior to inversion. When the valve is now opened, the propellent vapor quickly evacuates any product that remains in dip tube 34 and commences itself to flow through the dip tube into the chamber 16 where it mixes with product entering the chamber, through orifice 22 communicating with the interior of the conduit 35, and though orifice 24. Thus, the orifice 24, which served as a vapor tap in upright position, admits product to the chamber in inverted position; and the dip tube 34 through which product entered the chamber during upright operation, becomes a vapor tap opening 32 in the valve stem and passes to the atmosphere until the stem is released, allowing the spring 31 to close the valve.

it will be appreciated that in the inverted position, the conduit 35 provides a reservoir of product sufficient for a normal application, and that since the conduit is an adequate source of product for the chamber 16 in either position, the orifices 20 and 24, as well as the dip tube, may be dimensioned small enough to prevent premature exhaustion of propellant.

Of course, the dimensions of the respective orifices and passageways will depend upon the characteristics of the product to be dispensed as well as on the spray characteristics desired, and those skilled in the art will readily arrive at suitable dimensions for their purpose in each case. Meanwhile, by way of example, l have found that an insect repellent in liquid form may be discharged effectively with an excellent spray pattern in either upright or inverted position of the present package wherein various parts have dimensions of the following order:

orifice 22 diameter opening 32 diameter 0.024 in. orifice 24 diameter 0.0]6 in. dip tube 34 inside diameter 0.030 to 0.040 in. conduit 35 inside diameter 0.265 in.

l believe that my novel pressurized package and valve assembly will now be understood and that its operation will be fully appreciated by those persons skilled in the art.

lclaim:

l. A pressurized package for dispensing product from a plurality of different attitudes, comprising: a single container for product to be dispensed and for fluid propellent having a phase of lower specific gravity than the product discharge valve means including a chamber mounted on said container, a valve stem in said chamber and including a passageway for effecting communication between said chamber and the atmosphere and means normally closing said passageway, said stem being shiftable manually from normally closed to open position, spring means urging said stem to closed position, a dip tube and conduit means each communicating with said chamber and extending to the opposite part of said container, said conduit means having a larger internal cross-sectional area than that of said clip tube, and a vapor tap effecting communication between said chamber and the interior of said container above the level of product when the container is in upright attitude.

2. A pressurized package for dispensing product from a plurality of different attitudes, comprising: a single container for product to be dispensed and for fluidpropellent having a phase of lower specific ravity-than the roduct, discharge valve means including a c amber mounte on sard container,

a dip tube and conduit means each in communication with said chamber and extending to the opposite part of said container, said conduit means having a larger internal cross-sectional area than that of said dip tube, a vapor tap effecting communication between said chamber and the interior of said container above the level of product when the container is in upright attitude, and means for effecting communication between said chamber and atmosphere.

3. A pressurized package according to claim 2, wherein said dip tube is a capillary tube.

4. A pressurized package according to claim 2, wherein said conduit means surrounds said dip tube.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3,647,119 Dated March 7, 972

Inventor(s) Lggn Samuelson It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patentare hereby corrected as shown below:

-On the cover sheet [73] "S.C.*John & Son, Inc, Racine,

Wis." should read S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Column 4, line 13, after "product" insert a comma.

Signed and sealed this 31st day of October 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PC4050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC come-P59 a ".5. GQVERNMENT PRlNTlNG OFFICE! 1M9 0-356-33L 

1. A pressurized package for dispensing product from a plurality of different attitudes, comprising: a single container for product to be dispensed and for fluid propellent having a phase of lower specific gravity than the product discharge valve means including a chamber mounted on said container, a valve stem in said chamber and including a passageway for effecting communication between said chamber and the atmosphere and means normally closing said passageway, said stem being shiftable manually from normally closed to open position, spring means urging said stem to closed position, a dip tube and conduit means each communicating with said chamber and extending to the opposite part of said container, said conduit means having a larger internal cross-sectional area than that of said dip tube, and a vapor tap effecting communication between said chamber and the interior of said container above the level of product when the container is in upright attitude.
 2. A pressurized package for dispensing product from a plurality of different attitudes, comprising: a single container for product to be dispensed and for fluid propellent having a phase of lower specific gravity than the product, discharge valve means including a chamber mounted on said container, a dip tube and conduit means each in communication with said chamber and extending to the opposite part of said container, said conduit means having a larger internal cross-sectional area than that of said dip tube, a vapor tap effecting communication between said chamber and the interior of said container above the level of product when the container is in upright attitude, and means for effecting communication between said chamber and atmosphere.
 3. A pressurized package according to claim 2, wherein said dip tube is a capillary tube.
 4. A pressurized package according to claim 2, wherein said conduit means surrounds said dip tube. 